The best food is simple

When the flavours and fresh ingredients are just right, complicated recipes are not needed. Instead, the food is enjoyed simply as it is.

-Potatoes and tomatoes ripened by the long summer days need nothing special to accompany them. And the best kind of fish is fresh perch, fried in butter until golden brown. So says Isabella Asplund, entrepreneur and founder of the Köttdisken deli. Located in Malax, the majority of products at Köttdisken come from local farmers and fishers.

For visitors in the Vaasa region, Isabella recommends Sundom smoked fish. It is a delicacy loved by locals and well-known outside the region.

-“Smoked fish is an easy basic ingredient, and can be used on a sandwich as such, for example. One tip is to enjoy it outdoors, such as on a picnic by the sea with a good local beer, for a heavenly culinary experience,” says Isabella.

Enjoying good food is easy in the Vaasa region, as there are plenty of locally produced, quality ingredients available in shops, marketplaces, and restaurants. Isabella’s latest project is opening a new deli, Fiskdisken, in central Vaasa in summer 2019, which will sell fresh fish and homemade food.

Simple fish dip à la Isabella

Choose one or more from each group and combine to your liking.

• Smoked or cured fish (warm or cold-smoked)
• Leek, shallots or spring onions
• Fromage frais, mayonnaise, creme fraiche, sour cream or curd
• Parsley, dill or other fresh herbs
• Lemon, lime or sea buckthorn juice

Mix the ingredients, let chill for a moment, and serve with crispbread or rye bread.

Published 22.2.2019